Bereishit - Time

Thursday, October 4, 2018 · Posted in ,




"And G-d saw that it was good. And it was evening, and it was morning, one day."

On the first day, Hashem created time. He assigned a twenty-four hour period to day and night. (Rashi)  He commanded the light, "Your dominion is by day!" To the darkness, He said, "Your dominion is by night!" (Bereishit Rabbah)

Not, "the first day" because there is no "first" without a "second," which had not yet eventuated. (Ramban)

Earthly and human measurement of time, by a clock of human manufacture, cannot apply to the first three days, as the sun was not then in existence.

"And it was evening, and it was morning, one day" - "One" (and not first) is employed because Yisrael was destined to proclaim G-d's unity with that word, as we read, "Hear O Yisrael, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One" (Devarim 6:2). For that reason the first day is called one day, because whoever asserts the unity (oneness) of His Name acknowledges that He is the Creator of His world, blessed be He and blessed be His Name.

Source: Midrash Says; Torah Shleimah


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Bereishit - Spirit of G-d Hovering

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"and the Spirit of G-d hovering over the water's surface."

This expression refers to The Throne of Divine Glory, which was poised in space, hovering over the water's surface, by means of the ruach (breath) of G-d's mouth and through His word - like a dove hovering over the nest. (Rashi)

A spirit of grace and loving kindness emanating from G-d and hovering over the waters, as much as to say that the Shechinah (the Divine Presence) in Divine tranquility was engaged in bringing order into the chaos. (Targum Yerushalmi; Rashi)

And the Ruach of G-d hovered over the face of the waters - Tohu  (unformed) is colorless, nondescript place; bohu (void) is one that has shape and form. Choshech (darkness) is black fire of deepest hue, deep red fire, bright green fire, and white fire, which comprises all the other hues. Choshech is a fire which ceased to be pure black when it overwhelmed tohu. Ruach (wind) is a sound which hovers over bohu and seizes and leads it wherever it is required. That is the esoteric meaning of he verses, "The voice of Hashem is upon the waters" (Tehillim 29:3); and similarly, "And the ruach of G-d hovered over the face of the waters." (Zohar 1:16)

Source: Chok L'Yisrael; Torah Shlemah

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Bereishit - Ohr Haganuz - The Hidden Light

Wednesday, October 3, 2018 · Posted in , , , ,



Light - Ohr Haganuz - The Hidden Light

Although the Torah relates that the creation of light took place on the first day, it also states that the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day. These seemingly contradictory facts may be reconciled by the following two explanations:

  1. In reality, the substance of all heavenly bodies were created already on the first day. Nevertheless, their form and appearance only manifested themselves on the the fourth day when Hashem placed them in their positions in the sky. (Chagigah 12a)
  2. The light created on the first day is not the light which we know nowadays. On that day, Hashem created a powerful and brilliant light of such radiance that our sunlight is darkness in comparison. Subsequently, Hashem concealed this superlative light from the first day, and on the fourth day He provided the world with light from the sun and the moon.
Hashem created a spiritual illumination that allows us to perceive the deeper meaning of Creation and our existence. Adam in Gan Eden was allowed to benefit from the light of the first day. By means of it, for thirty-six hours, he was able to see from one end of the world to the other. (Yerushalmi, Brachot 8:5)

Access to the light was only made partial, and as Kabbalah explains, conditional:

He made a separation in the illumination of the Light, that it should not flow or give off light except for the righteous, whose actions draw it down and make it shine. However, the actions of the evil block it, leaving them in darkness, and this itself was the hiding of the Light. (Shaarei Leshem)

In order to prevent the forces of evil from misusing this form of light, Hashem hid it within the Torah. Thus, He assured that only those who study Torah with effort and sincerity can benefit from this spiritual form of light. They will be rewarded with enjoyment of the light of the Shechinah for having studied Torah which is compared to light.

Through Torah and mitzvahs, in which the light has been hidden, the entire creation will come to the fulfillment of its purpose.


Source: Midrash Says; Torah.org - Rabbi Pinchas Winston: Chaos From the Beginning

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